THE Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has suspended its five-day warning strike in the state after three days.
Labour unions had declared a five-day warning strike against the administration of Governor Nasir el-Rufai over the mass sack of workers.
The strike had brought the state to a standstill as hospitals, banks, train station, the airport, among others were shut.
The governor had dared the labour leaders, saying their action would not make him change his stance on the sacked workers.
El-Rufai declared the labour leaders wanted and also sacked nurses and university lecturers for allegedly joining the exercise.
But speaking after an emergency meeting in Kaduna tonight, the National President of NLC, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, said the strike has been suspended.
This came after the Federal Government waded into the face-off by inviting both parties to a reconciliation meeting.
The meeting is scheduled to hold by 11 am tomorrow at the office of the Minister of Labour and Employment, Federal Secretariat, Abuja.
Those invited for the meeting include El Rufai and top officials of his state; as well as Wabba and top NLC leaders.
This was disclosed by the Charles Akpan, the Deputy Director, Press and Public Relations of the Ministry of Labour and Employment.
The Minister further directed the two parties to maintain the status quo ante bellum pending the resolution of the issues in contention.
The letter separately addressed to both the Governor of Kaduna State and the President of the NLC reads in part:
“Sequel to the strike prompted by the Nigeria Labour Congress(NLC) one of the federations of Trade Unions in Nigeria, and the subsequent withdrawal of work and services in almost all public sector establishments and institutions in Kaduna State, including but not limited to the essential services in electricity, water and health, which has consequently resulted and inflicted huge damage and loss to the economy and well-being and even loss of lives to the people of Kaduna State in the last three days.
“I am therefore constrained in the exercise of my powers as the Minister of Labour and Employment, under the Trade Disputes Act, CAP. T8, Laws of Federation of Nigeria (LFN) 2004; to invite you and your top officials to the emergency trade dispute conciliation meeting.”
The letter emphasized further, “between the transition period for the meeting, you are please requested to maintain the status quo ante bellum this dispute so that the enabling climate for the resolution of the issues in dispute will not be hindered by the creation of new issues.”
